Don't Forget Me Revamped
by Kyhan
Summary: A rewrite of Don't Forget Me, which I deleted. It's Raven's 18th birthday, and yet again, with her birthday comes trouble for the Titans. Also, a familiar face from her past has returned. Is he a friend, or will old wounds be opened?
1. Remember

_Well, here I am again. I'm re-writing my favorite story. Many of you may be wondering, "Why are you re-writing this story? I thought you liked it!" Well, I did. But as many of you may not know, this was the story that got me into writing. I feel, it is only right to make it the best I can, as a last honor to the fic. The old version can still be found on "Media Miner dot Org" (the site won't keep the link in the stories; I've tried). Well, here you go: The epic re-write of "Don't Forget Me!"_

Chapter 1

"Remember"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or anyone else who appears in the television show. Everyone else belongs to me, and me alone, ho-bag!

* * *

"Thunder… Lightning… rain… Grrreeeaaat." Raven groans, creating a blanket over her head with her powers. She sighs, and looks over at her friends, just as wet as she is. She sighs, and extends the shield to cover them.

"Gee, thanks birthday girl. We really didn't need that when we were DRY!" an agitated Beast Boy whines, as Cyborg's hand comes smacking down on his head.

"Jeez, BB, leave her alone. She's not in the best mood this time of the year," Cyborgh stated. This was true. Just 729 days ago, Slade returned to the living, and brought on what seemed like the apocalypse when Trigon, her father, returned to earth with him. Just as all hope was lost, he was knocked back into hell. The earth was safe… but how long can the peace last? That's why Raven's birthday still bothered her; she's still unsure if everything is truly over… two years is a short time if you look at it in the grand scheme of things.

"GUYS! STOP MESSING AROUND!" Robin screamed, as he and Starfire turned the corner a block ahead of them. They had wasted time reminiscing on what happened that they forgot about the robbery.

"Ooh, come friends! We must stop the crime in progress, and then stop for the nuts of dough!" Starfire cooed from down the street. Raven nods, as Beast Boy turns into a stallion, stampeding to the destination.

As Cybrog rants something to himself about doughnuts, a large crash echoes throughout the street. Red X stands slinging a moneybag over his shoulder. "Score. I hit the jackpot!" his voice changer scrambles as the words leave his lips below his mask.

"Red X…" Robin growls as he slides to a halt down the wet pavement.

"Ah, Robin—Titans, what a clichéd surprise! I'd love to stay and exchange witty banter, but this isn't some bad fanfic where the villain has multiple flashbacks and confessions before the battle." He salutes Robin, turning, "So I'll just see ya' around!"

"Get over here!" Beast Boy says, shifting into a squid. His tentacles lunge at the elusive villain, as he disappears in a puff of smoke.

"X, you'll never get away from this!" Robin screams, as he draws his staff, striking the air. Red X appears, his ankle right where the staff struck.

He takes a fall into a puddle, scrambling to his feet. Xenothium leaks from his belt as he runs making him unable to teleport. He quickly realizes this, and looks back at the heroes. "You," he gasps for air, clearly fatigued, "take life… too seriously, man!"

Robin draws a sword, lunging onto X and slashing him across his back. He falls, drawing an X and clashing with Robin's weapon.

"We've gone through this X," Raven says, rising from behind him. She uses her powers to wrap Robin; forming armor, as Beast Boy turns into a charging rhinoceros and Cybrog charges a sonic blast.

"Well then… I guess it'll have to go like always," He sighs, as he kicks Robin off, and jumps, causing Beast Boy to charge into Cyborg. He lands, and blocks a slash from Robin.

Raven pauses. Suddenly she feels cold. Something is watching her. She turns, and sees only a cape pulling into an alley. "Who is that?"

Suddenly her powers clamp down on Robin, and she gasps, releasing him from the armor. Red X used that as a chance to escape, making a mad dash fro the same alley.

"Not so fast! Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven screams, grabbing him by the back of the neck with her powers.

"Shit…" He whimpers as he is thrown into the wall behind them. He makes another mad dash, looking back in fear. His mask is cracking, as he throws an X at Robin. It collides with a Disc, blasting him back slightly.

"D-damn…" The voice changer begins to fade out, revealing a higher pitched voice. "OH SHIT! MY VOICE!!!" He begins to panic, "I'VE GOTTA JE—" his belt is broken, and he squeals as it crumbles to pieces. He turns, and his face slams right into Starfire's chest.

"Oh god… I'm so-" he says, looking up at the agitated tamaranian, as she knees him in the balls. "Shit…" He realizes she wasn't present during the battle, as he falls to the ground, out like a light.

"The police will be here shortly…" Robin says, tying him up to a lamppost, upside down.

"Can we go home?" a dazed Beast Boy asks, as Robin looks in raven's direction. She's staring at the alley down the street; drawn to it. Something is there, and she wants to know what.

"But we NEED Pizza!" Cyborg says, as raven continues to stare. She hadn't ever felt like that before… only one person from Azarath could have a stare that could do that, and she knew it. She grasped her chest lightly, as her hood fell to her back. Her face glistened from the rain, as the mood shone from the parting storm.

"To the pizza we shall go, my friends!" Starfire laughs, grabbing raven on the shoulder. Suddenly Raven is brought back to the present, and looks at the other Titans.

"Pizza," she still isn't completely there as she says it, "sure."

From the rooftop, a man stares down at Raven, the moon behind him. He wears a fedora hat, and is no older than nineteen. As the Titans leave, he sighs. He wears a suit, very similar to Raven's but in dark gray and no hood. His underclothes are also two-pieced, with long pants rather than a leotard.

"Very soon, my dear Raven," he says, his eye as dark as the night above him, "but I am flattered you remember my gaze."

* * *

"Finally!" Beast Boy says, falling on the couch, "I think I have a concussion…"

"You feel bad?! I had your rhino horn in my butt!" Cybord turns around, revealing a large, horn-shaped hole in his ass plate. Robin laughs as he and Starfire sit beside Beast Boy.

"Well, now you have an anus… welcome to… the club—Raven, What's wrong?" Beast Boy says, suddenly healthy again.

Raven has her cloak closed and hood up, as she stares out the window. The storm has started up again. She stares at each drop, wondering about earlier. "N-nothing. I'm just used to being alone in my room on my birthday, even when I don't have anything to worry about. I just like being alone."

"Well, don't worry, because—" Robin is interrupted

"We've got a movie!" Beast Boy holds up a DVD of Godzilla: Final Ward.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that all the monsters of Godzilla were bad enough when they were in their individual movies," Raven groans, "No thanks." She steps into the kitchen and grabs an apple.

_(Author's note: I am a Godzilla enthusiast.)_

"The rain looks beautiful…" Raven says, gazing out the window, 'If only… No… It couldn't have been him… He probably forgot by now…' She thinks to herself.

The clock strikes twelve. She feels the exact second, and it feels like an eternity. She's eighteen, but feels the same. Twenty hours… Twenty hours and she will have left Azarath for exactly eight years, the same hour when she said goodbye to everything she knew; her family, her friends, and most importantly, him.

She tries to avoid the guilt of having abandoned him. How she left the family and went on the path that would lead her to meeting the other Titans. Without her stepfather harassing her to her breaking point, she never would have left, and the bruises wouldn't have healed, and the scars would be larger.

But more importantly, she would be with him. Maybe dating, maybe just skipping stones across the river—she wouldn't care. She'd just feel more protected than she does alone, even when she was among the Titans. None of them understand her like he did.

Crash. A single bolt of lightning strikes beside the tower sending Beast Boy flying off the couch in shock. A man stands in front of the tower, his cape flowing in the powerful winds. "What?" Raven asks herself aloud, confused.

"Raven's what is it?" Robin asks, concerned.

Suddenly Raven is hit with flashes of death, blood, her name, and a noose. She, almost in a trance, phases out of the tower. She opens her eyes, on the tower. He is across from her, on the other side. The pouring rain falls; each big drop hits her head with force, making it hard to stand. "Who are you?!"

He merely smiles, his face hidden. He solutes, and drops, as a bolt of lightning strikes between them, hitting the T. She leaps across the new hole, the screams of the other titans falling on deaf ears. She runs to the edge, and looks at the ground. Below. Nothing. She closes her eyes, feeling feint, and is caught by Robin before falling to her death.

"Robin?"

"Raven, you look ill. Come on, we need to get you inside." Robin says, as Beast Boy helps him carry her.

"Crow…" She says, closing her eyes, as Robin hands her to Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"You need rest my friend. You are hallucinating," Starfire whispers into her ear, "There were no crows outside."

"You're… right, Starfire. There were no birds…" She sighs, as they rest her down in her bed.

She closes her eyes, and the door closes. Feint murmurs die as the others leave the hall. She sits up, and sighs, pulling dry clothes on. "No birds."

"Azarath Metreon Zenthos," she starts to chant, "Azarath Metreon Zenthos. Azarath Metreon Zenthos. Azarath Metreon Zenth- no… Zenthos… Zenthos… not that… only he could do that…" she finishes as her pendant begins flashing.

She flings herself to her feet, and steps into the main room.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Go back to bed." Robin says.

"No. What's wrong?"

"It's…" Robin starts.

Raven's eyes widen at the next word.

"Trigon."


	2. I Never Forgot

Chapter 2

"I Never Forgot"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or anyone else who appears in the television show. Everyone else is mine, and you can't use them because then Dan Green will have to hurt you.

* * *

"It's…" Robin starts.

Raven's eyes widen at the next word.

"Trigon."

They examine the expression on her face. Raven is petrified. She mouths the word "How," yet nothing but air comes out.

"He's not alive, but… Slade…" Beast Boy says, pointing to the monitor showing a map of Jump city. One solitary block is highlighted in flashing red, shining brightly in their eyes.

"You may not want to look…" Cyborg tells her, trying to look away from the screen. Raven's eyes wander down, below the map to a video feed of what is going on.

Blood. Lots of blood. Bodies lay sprawled across the ground. Heads lie disembodied on the pavement, as bodies limply lie there, impaled on streetlights and fire hydrants. Embers fall from the burning buildings around, as charred carcasses—once human, and now unidentifiable—lie beneath the horror, lucky since their death wasn't as gruesome. Cars lie in the street, totaled from what looks like a kick to the engine. Blood trickles down the broken glass and onto the ground below, mixing with gasoline and oil that will soon ignite. Women, men, even children—none were spared from the gore, as intestine line the streets like streamers. A parade—a circus of murder and death line the streets, as what seems to be Slade, covered in the gore surrounding him, stands there, looking up at the camera, his elbows bobbing up and down, as if he were hysterically laughing.

"Hoe could Slade do this to such innocent people!" Starfire wails, tears flowing from her eyes like waterfalls. Each tear for one of the poor defenseless souls stamped out.

"Slade never cared about anyone… but even I thought he wouldn't stoop so low…" Robin clenches his fists as the words leave his mouth.

"We need to stop this… this monster…" Beast Boy grinds his teeth, ready to transform into a grotesque beast in order to stop Slade.

"Whatever we do, we have to stop him." Raven puts her hood up, and turns.

"Well, you're not coming," Cyborg says, "You need to rest."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You almost fell off the tower!" Beast Boy says.

"I'm going," Raven snarls, pulling her hood up, "And that's final."

"Well if you think you're going to be fine, it's okay." Robin turns to everyone. "Titans… GO!" Robin screams, running out followed by Cyborg and Beast Boy.

Starfire stays behind. "Starfire, let's go." Raven puts her hand on her friend's shoulder. Starfire smiles, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Let us save them," Starfire smiles.

Cyborg leaps into the T-Car, buckling his seatbelt and revving the engine. Robin lines up with him, riding his motorcycle. Their eyes meet and they nod, as the garage door opens, revealing a bridge that will take them to the mainland of the city. They let loose, as they go racing down the bridge, ready to take Slade.

"I thought Slade said he works alone… Why's he with Trigon again?" Beast Boy asks, and Starfire shrugs. Beast Boy transforms into a bird and takes off beside Starfire.

Raven stops, only an inch over the ground. She sees someone above them… someone on the roof. He is illuminated by the moon behind him as the freshly parted clouds fly in their on directions. The man seems to be watching her watch him. She opens her mouth to yell, but he limply falls, freefalling down the tower.

"HEY!" She screams, running to catch him. He suddenly hits the water, hidden by a large, pointy rock and makes a large splash. Raven leads herself to the rock, and looks down. The water is still; untouched. Her image is reflected back to her, and she puts her hand out to touch her own face. Instead she scrambles it, hitting the water and falling in up to her elbow. There was nothing.

"Raven," Beast Boy's voice breaks her silence, and makes her jump. She turns to him, "Aren't you coming?"

"Did you see it?"

"Yeah. I saw you walk over here for no reason and I heard a splash, so I came to see what was happening."

"But… there was… I couldn't be losing it… but you heard it! You heard the splash! He jumped in, but there wasn't anything in the wa-"

"Raven… you fell in the water. That's the splash I heard." She looks at her sleeve, soaked up to her elbow. "Come on, they're probably there by now," He turns into a hawk and takes off, leaving Raven there.

Raven groans. She knows there was something there, and everyone just thinks she's going insane.

"Maybe I am just seeing things…" Raven closes her eyes, and flies off, catching up with Beast Boy. She notices a post-it on his back, and peels it off, letting it fall into the water.

As she leaves sight of the tower, the man steps out to where she was standing and looks into the water, swirling his reflection with his hand. "To think that Beast Boy didn't realize I hit him on the back," he laughs, picking up the post-it that floated to him.

* * *

"What took you?!" Robin yells to Raven and Beast Boy, as they float above him. Beast Boy looks at Raven, who glares at him sharply. He looks back to where he's a flying; beads of sweat falling down his beak.

"Nothing, we were just… thinking," Raven lies, looking at her green friend, who appears to be lost in looking to his side.

"What is it?" she asks, putting her hand on his head.

'I just… I saw… Never mind.' He tells her telepathically.

Beast boy looks back, and he's gone. He could have sworn he saw a man leaping from building to building in a dark gray cloak. He remains silent, keeping his attention to where they are headed.

The smell of burnt flesh tells them that they have arrived, as they see the roofs burning. Slade still stands in this block. He has apparently found a new victim, and proceeds to impale her with her own severed limbs, even after her heart has stopped. He is suddenly aware of his visitors, and merely chuckles, not taking his eyes off of the corpse below.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Titans? A month? A year? Millennium? Far too long for my tastes anyway," Slade says. The line sounds familiar, "I was beginning to think I'd never see your smiling faces again…"

"It's been two weeks… Don't you remember?" Beast Boy says, answering the rhetorical question.

"Slade… you will… you will never get away with this… this… murder!" Robin screams, "I thought you couldn't become more disgusting, but you've proved me wrong yet again."

The Mark of Skath appears on Slade's forehead, "That's precious Robin, but I didn't come back for you…" He gathers fire in his hands, and sends a blast toward our hero. Suddenly, Raven creates a shield in front of him, detouring the fire to an already engulfed building.

"Ever have one of those days where you're just happy to be—" Slade begins, but he is grabbed by Cyborg from behind.

"Alive? You've said this… all of it before!" He asks, as he blasts Slade through the chest. The beam goes through, but nothing happens. The wound heals instantly, "Whoa!"

"Whoa? That's it? No cleaver comment? I was—"

"Looking forward to that?" Robin kicks him in the face, knocking him back. "Tell me something, why are you only repeating what you said when you showed up two years ago?"

"That's precious Robin, but I didn't come back for you…" Slade repeats, looking at Raven, "Hello birthday girl."

"ANSWER US!" Starfire screams, kneeing him in the jaw. His skull cracks slightly, and he lands backward.

"Why have you returned like this… and how?" Raven asks, confused.

"I have a message for you…"

"No you don't!" Cyborg screams, grabbing him in a strangle hold, "RUN RAVEN!" Suddenly Slade tears his left arm off, along with a chunk of his torso.

"Cy!" Beast Boy screams. Slade remains silent, looking at Beast Boy as he charges at him. He transforms into a T-rex and head-butts him. Slade holds him back with only his foot. Starfire beings to throw star-bolts at him, as Cyborg manages to stand. Blood and oil trickle down Cyborg's armor as he stands to his feet and charges his sonic cannon.

Suddenly Robin turns the corner on his motorcycle. The three of them abandon Slade, as Robin leaps off of it. Slade is slammed into a brick wall, and the motorcycle explodes. Raven just stares in awe, trying to collect her thoughts.

"Are we victorious?" Starfire asks, as a car hits her in the head, knocking her unconscious.

"Shit!" Beast Boy screams, as Slade stands up. His mask is missing, and half of his torso has been torn off.

"W-who are you?" Robin asks.

The man has no face. He only has one eye on the left side of his head. In a demonic voice the man begins to speak, "I am Trigon's memory of Slade. I was created merely to serve. My master already failed hiring a true person, so I was created to resurrect him. In ord-d-der to keep the illusion of Slade, I may only speak the words he has already spoken when under my master's command. I shall not stop until killed…"

Suddenly his wounds heal, and Slade's faceplate regenerates over his head. He claps, and pillars of fire burst from the ground, knocking Beast Boy and Robin out.

"You can't run away from who you are," the doppelganger states to Raven in Slade's voice. Suddenly the demon's voice dominates, "Now, it is just you and I."

"Not for long!" Raven's eyes charge with power, "Azarath Metrion Zinthi!!" Energy bursts from her eyes and mouth, and eventually ever orifice begins to pour gray energy. The blast hits the demon, and withers it away to a skeleton, before it regenerates, "N-NO! WRONG," She coughs blood into the blast releasing from her mouth, "SPELL!!!" She screams, as the pain inside feels like a million explosions all at once. She feels her blood become acidic and start to eat away at hr own arteries, and her lungs feel as if they have been stabbed. Suddenly the energy stops, leaving her vomiting her own blood, which burns her tongue as it exits.

"None of Slade's memory contains that spell…" The demon's head seals cleanly, as the mask covers his lack of a face, his voice sounds like a deep growl, "You very well could have destroyed me, but at what cost? You can't control it enough to just destroy the core of my artificial brain, I mean, just look at you!" He points to the blood beneath her feet.

"No one…" She coughs, as his feet appear beneath her head. Blood drips on the toes of his boots, "I'm lucky… it usually kills the user…but…"

"But?"

"AZARATH METREON ZINTHI!" A voice in the distance screams, grabbing the demon in a gray blanket of magic. Next, millions of hands made from the same magic burst from the ground, each grabbing a piece of the demon.

"…There was one…" Raven coughs. Starfire gains consciousness, along with Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin. They all stare at Raven, and then the man behind her, on the rooftops.

"Well, How could you harm such a beautiful girl?" The man asks in a handsome voice, "It seems you're nothing like the real Slade. He may have been filth, but he had morals."

"Who are you? Slade has no memory of you."

"Then you're in quite a pickle," The man smiles.

"Show yourself," the demon demands.

The man leaps off of the building, walking forward. He picks Raven up, and smiles. "Hey you," he says, as he helps her to her feet.

"H-hey…" Raven says, staring into his eye. One of his eyes had no white, but instead is black with a white pigment.

"Thank you for telling Raven how to kill you," He smiles, "I would never have guessed that you have a core inside your brain that needs to be smashed…Honey you may want to step back, this will be messy," Raven looks up at him as he says this, and he smiles. She nods, and runs behind them. The man snaps his fingers and turns.

Each hand begins to rip at the demon, tearing each part of him away, including the bone. He screams until his lungs are torn away with his vocal chords, which are thrown across the area. Blood splatters everywhere as a blue gem flies from where his brain used to stand. The gem lands in the man's hands, and he crushes it. He continues walking until he is with the Titans, who have now gathered in the street to watch.

"Dead," The man says, sternly. He smiles at Raven, who is now in front of the Titans.

She chokes on the words, and eventually they leave her lips, "…Crow?"

"You remember me?" he asks, surprised. She latches onto him, and begins to cry. Behind her lights go out as her powers go wild with emotion.

"I never forgot," she whispers into his heart.


	3. I'm Sorry

_Hi again, reader. Well, I thought I'd start this chapter with a heads up that this will be the last re-write until July 20__th__. I'm going to be touring Japan for two weeks as a student ambassador for "People to People." So… yeah… No updates from July 7__th__ to July 20__th__. However, that's assuming I don't have too much Jet Lag._

Chapter 3

"I'm Sorry"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or anyone else who appears in the television show. Everyone else is mine, and you can't use them, or I will write 'balls' on your head in your sleep and people will laugh at you and stuff, and say "Oh, his face says 'balls'" and it'll be very embarrassing for you, and you'll look really silly… Yeah, it'll be great…

* * *

She chokes on the words, and eventually they leave her lips, "…Crow?"

"You remember me?" he asks, surprised. She latches onto him, and begins to cry. Behind her lights go out as her powers go wild with emotion.

"I never forgot," she whispers into his heart.

"Huh?" Raven looks up at his deformed eye; the inverted copy of his other—white pupil, and black on everything else, while his other has a black pupil. Both of his eyes are wide with shock and confusion, as their eyes meet for the first time in years, "What are you doing?"

Raven blushes, pulling away. She forgot that she hadn't ever told him. "Nothing," she lies, turning to the other Titans. All of them are staring at Raven, their jaws hanging limply off of their skulls. Not just at what happened to the demon, but also confused with Raven's reaction to the newcomer.

There is an awkward silence, accompanied by a dull glare a la Raven. Suddenly, the silence is broken, as Beast Boy's wise words explain what is going through all of the naïve Titan's minds: "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" He screams at the top of his lungs, tearing out two handfuls of his own hair, "He Follows us here—don't lie, I saw you—you get all fucking jumpy at some guy stalking you, who I am ASSUMING was him, and then when you see him BRUTALIZE an insane copy of out greatest adversary, all YOU RUN INTO HIS ARMS?"

"Well, the Gothic mindset works in mysterious ways. What you may have found brutal or disgusting could be a huge aphrodisiac for Goths," he laughs hysterically, and wipes a tear from his eye, "No, no, she and I are just childhood friends."

Raven walks up to Beast Boy, giving him a noogie, Raven forces a smile, turning to her friends. "Crow, these are the Titans," she turns back, "Titans, this is Crow, my childhood best friend."

"I wouldn't say best," Crow shrugs, "You did run away on your tenth birthday, so we weren't friends for too long…" He scratches his head, and turns to meet each Titan.

"Robin," Robin says, shaking his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet someone from Raven's past." They shake their hands for a second, and then Robin pauses staring at Crow's face.

"Do you want something?" Crow asks, confused.

"You're… Uh… You're EYE… It's… It's on… wrong…"

"No, no, I was born this way… Your mask is on… uh… your… face—I may be a great mage, but I'm not the best with comebacks," he jokes, and the two of them laugh.

Crow turns to Cyborg and Beast Boy. He offers his hand only to see the two of them laughing hysterically.

"CROW? HAHA!" Beast Boy laughs, pointing at him, "CROW AND RAVEN?"

"That's SO cheesy!" Cyborg laughs with him, slamming him on the back.

"I suppose you're Cyborg and Beast Boy," Crow says, trying to change the subject.

"And look at his hair!!" Beast Boy points to Crow's head. Crow's hair is fashioned with a large lock that falls down, looking a lot like a crow's head, with two pieces that fall to the sides, "It looks like a bird died on his head!!" Beast Boy states. This, to Crow's dismay, is true.

"I hate to ruin your fun," Crow points to Beast Boy's head, which is bald in two spots.

"Oh… you're good…"

Crow turns yet again, this time to Starfire. Her eyes are wide, as if taking him all in at once. She doesn't blink, and drools a little, as her green eyes sparkle. "And you are…?"

"Oh me, IamStarfireyourhairisniceIlikeyou," she bolts around him, talking a mile a minute, "wouldyoulikethepizzaorthenutsofdoughbecausewehavebothatourhouseifyouwouldliketojoinmeinconsumingthem.You'reverycute.Ilikeyourhair.IamStarfire!"

"Alright…then…" Crow looks at her cockeyed, and turns to the Titans, and then Raven, "You live with a colorful band of characters," He looks at Beast Boy, "Lyterally…"

"What're you tryin' to say?!" Cyborg asks, bumping into him, "You callin' me black?" he picks Crow up by the cloak and holds him off the ground.

"N-no! No, I was talking about Beast Boy… you know, Beast Boy's gre—" he points to Beast Boy, but before he can finish, he is dropped.

"Oh! I get it! Ha ha!" Cyborg steps up to Beast Boy laughing hysterically. "Whoo, you've got no hair!" Cyborg states, unaware that that wasn't what he meant.

"Well, we understood it," Robin states, turning to Starfire, who is still drooling. He turns back, "Oh yeah! That was great how you beat that demon! What was that spell?"

"Well, you see, there are three moons of Azarath, our home. All the Citizens of Azarath can draw on the power of the moons, but very few can draw on the power of more than the first moon, Zintha. The second moon, Zinthos, is where Raven gets her power. Next, there is the final moon, Zinthi, which is where I get my power. The moons were named after the great Elders, Zinthi being the most wrathful, Zinthos being the most untamed, and Zintha being the most cautious. I am the only one who can control the powers of the Zinthi moon. Everyone else who tried, well, it's best not to cause them the harm of mentioning what happened to them…" Crow explains, as Robin cringes at the thought of the people who tried to use the spell, as he hadn't seen Raven use it.

"Uh… we could use you on the Titans. Plus, Raven would probably enjoy having someone who knows her as much as you…" He pulls out a communicator, "Would you like to become a Teen Titan?"

Crow's eyes are wide, and strangely he gets a little pale. He his eyes dart to Raven, and then back. "Are you okay?" Starfire asks, finally out of her trance.

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Uh, I'm only in town for a short time… I need to—" he looks at Raven, who is staring at him. Unbeknownst to him, her heart hurts her, as the person she loves has finally walked back into her life. She would be crushed if he were to leave as fast as he came.

Suddenly Crow's skin returns to normal, and his mouth curls into a smirk, "You know what? I'll stay for a while. I'll help you for as long as I can before I'm… you know, forced to go. I mean, it's not that often that you find a nice warm bed to sleep in!"

Raven manages to smile, her heart mended. "Yay," she squeals, and suddenly stops herself. Everyone stares at her, baffled.

"Ha ha, you haven't changed a bit Raven. You're just like ten years ago!" He laughs, and Beast Boy stared confused.

"When…" Robin starts

"Was…" Beast Boy continues.

"She…" Cyborg adds.

"Cheerful?" Starfire finishes, as Raven begins to lead Crow to the tower.

All the while, Crow has a smirk on his face, as if he were happy to get so close, so easily.

* * *

Crow and Raven enter the tower followed by Beast Boy and Starfire, as Cyborg and Robin are in the garage putting away their vehicles. Raven laughs as Crow tells her a joke.

"Hold on, Crow, I need to get something from my room."

"It's alright," Crow says, "I need to go to the bathroom anyway."

"Then we can talk a little more," Raven says, "It's on the way."

They continue to catch up, but stop as Raven opens her door. "I'll be just a minute," Raven says, closing her door behind her.

Crow places his hand on his chest, turning himself invisible. "Zinthi was a far better mage…" He says to himself, as he phases his head through the wall.

He watches as Raven pulls her wet cloak off. She puts on a new one, drawing a book out of her shelf. Crow almost yelps, seeing the same book… Raven's Diary… The same one from that fateful day… The day that would decide their whole future.

It was 8 years ago… the day that he saw her last…

Azarath, the shining city utopia in the middle of a parallel dimension created by Metrion, the Great; safe from the harm of the Earth, but with it's own troubles…

_But that wasn't important today._

_It was a great day by their standards. The clouds were gray, the rain had just stopped, and the city was dark as night. Beautiful. Crow and Raven always stuck together, sitting by the edge of the floating island the city stood on. Today Crow was sitting on the large rock, awaiting his friend to arrive. He had a question for her._

_He was only ten at the time; such a young boy with such a dark past. He was an outcast, not because of his destiny like Raven, but because of his fame and power. _

_She was turning ten today. Crow had waited for her to be the same age as him. He waited for five months, and twenty-eight days. Today he held a gray book that had an insignia that looked like a golden bird on the cover. He opened the first page to read the words "Raven's Diary: Don't touch!" He had been reading it a lot since he stole it from hr room the day before. As he flipped through the book again one last time before he returned it, he chuckled. There was poetry about someone she referred to as "the nameless," and seeing "the nameless," and dreams about "the nameless." That wouldn't have bothered him, if they had not been love poems, seeing "his cute face," and dreaming "about kissing him." Those were driving him crazy!_

_Crow found it hard to admit, but he liked Raven more than a friend. No, he loved her more than anything. The problem was that she couldn't love him back if this "the nameless" was around to steal his thunder! He had to dispose of "the nameless" before she told him. He'd kill him if he had to…He didn't want rejection, no sir._

_That's why he planned on giving her back her Diary today. First, he would find out who this "the nameless" was and put out his fire, while returning the Diary and making himself the hero. He planned on telling her after he gave her back the book. She would understand; she was a smart girl. Then they could be together forever… That was the plan. It seemed so perfect…_

"_Hi!" a perky voice behind him said before he finished reading. He shoved the book under his cloak and turned his cheek into hers, as she was peering over his shoulder. Her cheek was soft, like a warm, rubbery pillow. He had to keep himself from kissing her, "Whacha' reading?" She made no effort to move._

"_Hey!" He said, pulling away, "It's nothing." He was scared. She almost saw it before he could give it back to her. Then she'd get the wrong idea, and everything would go wrong, "don't get that close."_

"_It looked like something," Raven scowled. She became much darker than she was around him; like she was when she was at home. She poked him in the back._

"_Jeez, that hurts!" Crow jumped, pulling away. He levitated enough to float off of the rock. She floats after him, and they form a staircase off of the floating island. "The guys are down there," Crow pointed down to a small group of boys on the barren ground below Azarath._

"_Why do you like them?" Raven pouted, "They are only nice to me because you're my friend… otherwise it would just be 'oh, here comes miss apocalypse!'"_

"_I wish I was the Apocalypse, instead of… whatever it is…At least you HAVE parents, even if one is a demon…" Crow was orphaned at birth. His parents are unknown._

"_But you have power! You can do great things! I can only bring pain…"_

"_Jeez, Raven, don't say it like that…"_

"_If it isn't the Doves!" One boy said, "What took you love birds so long?"_

"_We're not love birds!" Crow yelled at his friends. He loved her to death, but he didn't want his friends to pick on him._

"_Hey, you're both kinds of birds! Crow and Raven. It's a joke!" the same boy said._

"_Crow… C-can we go? I want to talk to you alone…" Raven said lightly, very upset._

"_Speaking of love birds…" Crow turned, not paying attention to Raven's pleads. The boys moved in, and Crow pulled out Raven's Diary. Raven looked appalled when he pulled it out. "Who's 'the nameless' Raven?" All of the boys started laughing when Crow said this. Raven stared at him in a mix of emotion._

"_I-I don't know him…"_

_Crow realizes now that this wasn't the plan, but back then he opened the book to a random page. "I think you do," he smirked, as the other boys 'ooh' and 'ah,' "Dear Diary, Today I saw 'the nameless' on the street, as I walked home. We didn't talk at all, but last night I had a great dream about him. 'The Nameless' and I were by a beautiful lake, and kissing. Then he took me for a ride on a—" he stops reading, and sees Raven crying._

"_PONY!" Another boy yelled, looking over Crow's shoulder and they all start laughing… all but Crow and Raven. Crow was about to say 'I'm sorry' when a blast of black magic knocked him into a rock, along with all of the other boys. He coughed and blood ran from his mouth as he opened his eyes to see Raven standing there, holding her diary close to her. She closed her eyes, crying, and flew off, back to the city above._

"_Good riddens…She scares me anyway," another boy said, as Crow just sat there._

"_What did I do?" Crow said to himself, as a girl in the group steps out._

"_A diary is a personal thing. Good job getting rid of that freak, though."_

_Crow flew off, leaving the kids behind him. He never hung out with them again. He looked for her outside, but couldn't find her anywhere. He knew she went home, but Chronos, Aerela's second husband and Raven's stepfather hated him and wouldn't let him into their house._

_The next day she wasn't anywhere to be found. He went to her home, but she was gone. Aerela was crying, but Chronos was stern, telling her to get over it. He pretended to act like he cared, but he really didn't._

_Crow looked all over Azarath, but only ran into one of Raven's friends._

_"It's all your fault Crow!" her friends yelled at him, "She ran away to earth because of you!" Crow knew she probably heard from one of his old friends._

_"I didn't mean to…" He cried to her, but she left, never talking to Crow again._

_Raven and Crow were the bridges between their friends. Raven only had half of her friends with Crow gone, and Crow only had half of his friends with Raven gone. That bridge was forever shattered, and so was his heart._

Crow finds himself back in the present. He's crying, just as he had when she left. He leaves the hall, and tries to think of something to lighten his mood. He can't as he stumbles into the empty main room. He trips and falls, finding himself at her feet. She drops down to help him.

"Crow, what's wrong?" She asks, as he sits up as much as he can. She picks him up and helps him down the hall and into her room. They enter the room, and he falls onto her bed. Her lets one more exhale out with tears, before whispering the words "I'm sorry…" before he passes out from exhaustion.

Raven crawls into bed beside him. He's out like a light. She kisses him on the forehead, and then pulls her covers over his body. She turns to her side, and asks "What for, love?" before drifting off.


	4. For What?

_Hey, I'm back, and finally over my jet lag! Japan was great, except for this one guy named Kurt… anyway, now that I'm able to stay awake, I present the long awaited rewrite of Chapter 4!_

Chapter 4

"For What?"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or anyone else who appears in the television show, or any other. Everyone else is mine, and you can't use them, or I will force you to bunk with Kurt.

* * *

"Crow, what's wrong?" Raven asks, as he sits up as much as he can. She picks him up and helps him down the hall and into her room. They enter the room, and he falls onto her bed. Her lets one more exhale out with tears, before whispering the words "I'm sorry…" before he passes out from exhaustion.

Raven crawls into bed beside him. He's out like a light. She kisses him on the forehead, and then pulls her covers over his body. She turns to her side, and asks "What for, love?" before drifting off.

_Raven's eyes burst open._

"_Crow?" Raven asks, her voice an echo. She now stands in a cloudy room. It's as if there's a blinding fog inside. She manages to make out her surroundings. The blinds are drawn, and there is writing on all of the walls. The walls, oh the walls; filthy, they look as if they were abandoned for so long. The writing is illegible, a chicken scratch ranging from wall to wall, ceiling to floor. It looks like a canvas of rotten writing, maybe wishes of damnation. _

"_Where are we?" She says, looking for Crow, but he is nowhere to be found. It's not her room she's standing in. There is movement to her right, and she manages to make out a silhouetted figure in the center of the room. She approaches it, and a young boy stands before her, shirtless and mumbling something to himself. "Hello?" she coos as she reaches her hand out to him. She is shocked as she phases right through him, catching herself before she falls._

_She looks down at this hologram before her, and is shocked to see what he holds in his hand. A dagger, glimmering brightly in the darkness of the fog. It appears to have been freshly sharpened and chipped on the blade in four places, as if sharpened on a rock not too long before. He raises the blade to his chest, and scrapes it against his skin, striking blood. Raven closes her eyes from the horror, as multiple slice sounds can be heard._

_The fog begins to clear, revealing a noose in front of him. He drops the knife, covered in gore, and steps forward. Raven wants to scream. She has a view of only his back, but it matters not. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. She grips her throat as tears begin to fall down her cheeks. He screams her name, and tears flow down his cheeks as well._

_He pushes his head through the loop as suddenly her voice breaks through the mist. It's ear shattering, and echoes for a moment. Her eyes close in the silence, and the boy pauses. She opens her eyes, and he turns, revealing Crow's face, with his eyes bloodshot and bagged. "Raven?" he asks, looking right at her._

Raven screams, shooting up in her bed. Sweat falls down her face, as she looks beside her. Crow lies there, his eyes wearily opening. She examines her surroundings; she's back in her room.

"You screamed," Crow says, pulling his head up, "What's wrong?" He's normal, perfectly unharmed.

"It's just…" She gulps, "Oh god…" She leaps up, and runs out of her room and down the hall. Crow leaps up after her, and follows her to the bathroom.

She flushes the bowl as he steps in, wiping her mouth off on the sleeve of her leotard. She staggers to her feet and falls from a head rush. She pulls herself up and stumbles back down the hall into her room, and falls on her bed, her stomach still ill.

"I got the others," Crow says, following Robin and Cyborg into the room.

"You alright?" Cyborg asks, taking out a stethoscope.

"I'm fine… It was just a dream," She pants, trying to hide under the covers.

"Well, what was it about?" Beast Boy asks, concerned.

"I-" she thinks back, trying to remember the dream as hard as possible, but to no success. This is the first time she hasn't remembered a dream in years. "I can't remember."

"That's enough," Crow says, stepping in front of the other Titans. "She needs privacy right now."

"Well, what about you?" Robin asks.

"I knew Raven when she was young. She had many dreams that she shared with me, so I have a lot of knowledge on dream analysis."

"Well, that's all I need," Beast Boy yawns, walking out, "See ya' later, Crow!"

"I'll keep an eye on you." Robin steps out, and Starfire follows. Cyborg stands in the hall, waiting fro Robin to catch up, as the door shuts on them.

Crow shrugs, leaping into the bed. He levitates with his legs crossed, looking at her. She lies beside him, and looks up at his face.

"Thanks."

"There's no need for that. I know you like privacy, and your comfort is important to me." He turns, smiling slyly, "So tell me, what were you really dreaming about? What was so vile that it made _you_ vomit?"

"I really don't remember, Crow."

"Hmm… That never happens to me. I dream every night, but it never escapes me."

"How come?"

"It's always the same thing."

"What?"

"Pardon?" Crow asks, tilting in the air.

"What do you always dream about?"

"The last day I saw you. I can't forget it."

"Wow, that's pretty sweet."

"Yeah… I'm sorry about what happened." He says. His tone is serious and a little sad.

"It's okay, Crow, It's not your fault." She tries to remember why he would be apologizing. 'It must be because of my stepfather… How did Crow find that out?' She refers to how her stepfather constantly abused her as a child. You see, when Raven was in the womb, she was destined to be the child to open the gates of hell for Trigon, and bear the power of the moon Zinthi to accomplish it. He took that as an opportunity to gain power, but the prophecy was half true, as almost six months later Crow was born. When they were young, Crow was still able to use the Zinthi spell, while Raven could only use the Zinthos. 'Crow had the ability I should have had…'

"You know, you were gone for quite some time. I had some crazy adventures," Crow says.

"Really?" Raven smirks "Do tell!"

"Well, I'll tell you them in order. I call this first one 'The Crow in the Dragon's Nest.' You see, it all started when Azarath was attacked by-" The alarm goes off, and Raven's cloak begins to flash.

"Trouble." Raven says, pulling on her cloak.

"That thing flashes?" Crow asks, pointing to her cloak's jewel.

"Come on!" She says, pulling him out of the room.

"It appears there's a disturbance down by an abandoned warehouse," Robin briefs the team.

"No biggie. Slade wouldn't have any use there. That whole block's abandoned, and there's nothing kept there. It's all set to be demolished," Cyborg states.

"Either way, we need to check it out." Robin turns off the monitor, and steps out of the room with Starfire.

"SHOTGUN!" Beast Boy yells, as he and Cyborg run after Robin.

"We're flying together," Raven says to Crow, who smiles.

"So, should we kill these guys?" Crow asks.

"No, just maim and knock them out to go to prison. Don't kill them."

"I'll try, but no promises."

* * *

"Robin, you are going too fast!" Starfire yells to Robin as he zips down the street, parking his bike outside of the warehouse.

He never realized that behind him, Starfire lay crying on the ground, unconscious. "Leave robin alone! Don't kill my friend!" she screams, but the sound is muffled by the hideous grin stretching across her face.

Robin steps into a ring of light in the center of the blackened warehouse.

"If it isn't little old Dickey!" A familiar squeal of laughter cries from the shadows, followed by a loud "Weeeeeee-heee-heee!"

"You… show yourself… It can't be… You… Died!" Robin says. His eyes are wide in shock.

"Remember me too, kid?" A man dressed as a Scarecrow pulls from the shadows, "I never knew you were a circus freak, kid…"

"Scarecrow? But how…" Suddenly a blob of mud surrounds the Scarecrow's feet, and takes shape, molding into a humanoid form.

"Oh, Boy Wonder, how have you been? Eee-hee-hee-hee!" The first man says. His grin appears in the darkness, "and in a flash, Dickey Grayson and Bruce Wayne suit up, and become…" The man steps from the shadows holding a bloody mask, and shreds of a cape. The man's green hair is illuminated, and his yellow teeth glow in the dark. The Joker, in all of his insanity stands before Robin. His skin is somewhat disturbing, as he looks slightly decayed, but for the most part alive and well.

"Joker… Scarecrow… Clayface… how?" Robin stares at his past in fear.

"It was all a matter of finding the Joker," Scarecrow says, "Rather, he found us. He killed the guards, Clayface became some weapons, and I gassed the survivors. I do so love fear, Dick."

"Then it was just a matter of killing old Batsie like he did to me…" The Joker smiles, revealing some broken teeth. Only now does Robin notice he's missing an eye and his skin is torn to shreads.

"But… You're… You're dead!" He says pointing to the Joker.

"It's funny how life and death can mean so little when entities beyond your comprehension are involved, kid. I have a duty to fulfill, but he never said I couldn't have my own agenda first."

"Entities beyond our comprehension… Who are you—" Robin asks, but is interrupted.

"It never stopped your friend Slade!"

"My friends… they'll stop y—"

"I gassed 'em" Clayface smiles.

"Robin please help!" a girl yells, and Robin turns to see a girl Robin fell in love with so long ago. Unfortunately, she turned out to be a part of Clayface.

"Come on little Dicky, get her!" The Joker laughs, as the Girl attacks Robin with a scythe made from her own arm. She scrapes him across his chest, and he falls in blood and tears. He pulls his head up long enough for Scarecrow to wind up a jack-in-the-box toy, spraying a mixture of the Joker's Laughing Gas and his nightmare toxin into his face. He loses consciousness, broken, but with a smile on his face.

* * *

"What's going on?" Raven asks Crow, as they pull Beast Boy and Cyborg up to Starfire. The three of them are all out, screaming with hideous grind on their faces.

"I have no idea," Crow says, as they arrive at the warehouse. "Lets go."

The two of them burst through the doors, only to see Robin suspended n the middle of the room, screaming with the same smile on his face.

Crow runs past him, punching the hiding Scarecrow in the face.

"Filthy son f a—" The Joker leaps out at Crow, grabbing him. Their eyes meet, and he pauses. Both are speechless.

"You?" Both say, as Raven throws a crate into the Joker's torso. A snap can be heard on impact, as he is thrust backward.

"You insolent brat! You think you can just run around without consequences?" he screams at Crow, puling himself togeather "He has powers you can't imagine! I'm here to make you pay!"

"What's going on?" Raven asks. As Crow opens his mouth to answer, he is gassed by Scarecrow. Raven is speechless, as Clayface almost strikes her with a blade.

Suddenly, everything goes black for Crow. He lies on the ground, and Raven is nowhere to be found.

"Raven? Raven!" Tears come to his eyes, as the smile forms on his face, "Not again!"

"Crow, I'm right here…" Raven says, dodging Clayface's offence, she runs up to him. It all falls on def ears, as he can't hear her.

"Raven," he cries, "I love you, please don't leave me… not again…"

"Strange. The little traitor's a romantic, even in his nightmaress," The Joker says into Raven's ear. She jumps, and blasts through his chest. His heart remains intact through the hole, and he laughs.

"Baby, that doesn't work!" He laughs, as his chest heals. Raven stares shocked as Scarecrow leaps at her with the Jack-in-the-box.

"I can't die! My heart is immune to such a weak spe-" Robin stands behind him, holding his sword in his heart. "Shit." He falls, as Robin loses consciousness again.

The Joker's jaw drops and he screams, as his soul is released from his body, looking like smoke. A claw of shadow shoots from the ground, and pulls the smoke away with it. Raven, however, doesn't see this, as sheturns to face the remaining opponents.

"Run!" Scarecrow screams, as Raven knocks him over, continually pummeling him. Strangely enough, she uses her bare fists, punching him over and over again. Her knuckles become raw and bleed as she punches his teeth out. Eventually, she can't tell his blood from hers, and it mixes on her fists.

Scarecrow manages to grab a metal shard, and stabs her in the shoulder. She screams, as he pulls it out. The tides turn as he knocks her to the ground with a kick, and aims the shard at her neck. Suddenly she impales him with her powers, killing him before she is hurt.

"Oh shit," Clayface screams. He melts as fast as he can to the exit, but is surrounded by a black veil before he can. Raven lifts him up, and throws him out and into the nearby water, where he dissolves.

Raven stands up, and puts her hands up to Crows face. He's still crying. Her hands fill with her power, and slowly she pulls the poison out of him. He returns to normal, and lies there, asleep, now dreaming of something more peaceful. She moves to Robin and then Starfire, Beast Boy, and lastly, Cyborg.

Crow opens his eyes and sits up, tears still flowing, and Raven stands behind him. She falls to his level and hugs him from behind. He realizes his situation and turns his head to look at her.

"I love you too," She whispers into his ear, and kisses him on the cheek.

"Uh, guys, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but there are two corpses here," Beast Boy says, pointing to Scarecrow and the Joker.

"Well, Raven's fine. She killed Scarecrow out of self-defense. The Joker was already dead…"

Cyborg stares at him. "Wait… you mean to tell me there are zombies now?"

"So now the dead are rising?" Beast Boy asks.

"He said something about being sent to do something…" Robin explains.

"I'm bored with this already," Beast Boy says, "Not enough plot development's happened to gain my interest… It's like Spiderman 3: Venom's not in it yet, so… blah."

Everyone stares at him for a moment, "that was a good movie…" Crow mumbles.

Robin shrugs "He has a point, though, Venom only showed up in the last half ho—"

"That's not the poin—" Beast Boy growls, as he too is interrupted.

"Let us go get the nuts of dough!" Starfire suggests.

"ICECREAM IT IS!" Cyborg laughs.

"Are you two coming?" Robin asks, looking at Raven and Crow who are now holding each other close.

"We'll catch up," Crow says as they all leave. Raven and Crow stand alone, and their lips touch for the first time.


	5. Tell Me a Story

Chapter 5

"Tell Me a Story"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or anyone else who appears in the television show, or any other. Everyone else is mine, and you can't use them or I'll saw out your wisdom teeth (like what happened to me causing me to take such a long absence).

* * *

Raven and Crow hold each other close, looking up at Robin who is awaiting a response.

"We'll catch up," Crow says as the other Titans leave. Raven and Crow stand alone, and their lips touch.

Raven's head spins, making her forget where she is and what has happened; everything leaves her mind except that she is finally kissing Crow. Raven's eyes close, and she feels like her feet are flying, even though they're not.

Suddenly the scene is cracked and she pulls away and back to the reality. Raven gasps for air, only to look down at the corpse less than twenty feet from them. "Oh how I wanted to do that," Crow laughs, when she presses her head on his chest. "What's wrong?"

"It's just… I just," she looks again at the corpse of Scarecrow. Maggots have already started devouring the flesh and bathing in the blood on the floor.

"Shit," Crow holds her tightly "It's not your fault. He was trying to kill you, and you had to do it. Would the citizens want a dead hero over a dead villain? I wouldn't."

"I know… but he still had a life. Who am I to snuff that out? Do I have the right to choose who lives and di—Crow?"

His eyes stare blankly over her shoulder. "No one has that right," he mumbles to himself. He pauses for a moment, and looks down, "But he had a life in a straightjacket, never seeing the sun, and thinking only of revenge. I'd choose death over that. It's not life."

Raven lets go, and walks off. She kicks into the air and closes her eyes as she flies into the sky. A sudden breeze blows through her cloak and she shivers. She feels more weight pull down on her shoulders and turns to see Crow placing his cloak on her. "You need this more than I do, Raven."

"I…" she looks at Crow with saddened eyes. Suddenly a building's windows explode, with her energy, and she hugs him.

"Hey, come on, cheer up!" Crow laughs, "You got really pessimistic over the years."

Raven doesn't respond. They continue flying, and the Ice Cream parlor comes into view. "Hey Crow?" she asks.

"Hm?"

"You were going to tell me a story before the mission… 'The Crow in the Dragon's nest' you called it… Could you-"

"Tell you the story?"

"Yes." Raven nods.

"Alright. Okay! I'll tell you the story on one condition: You cheer up."

She nods, "I'll try."

Crow smiles, "Then I shall tell you the tale over some ice cream… You still like Strawberry, right?"

"Nothing else is as good," She smiles and closes her eyes as they touch the asphalt.

"Then I'll treat you; I've got enough cash on me," she smirks and he holds the door open for her, motioning his hand for her to go in first. She giggles, and a fire hydrant across the street explodes. Crow cringes behind her back at this, but turns and smiles.

Moments later they are enjoying a two-person table by the window, cups of ice cream in their hands. "Now before I tell you this story, I must warn you—it gets violent and isn't for the simple minded."

"Everything with you is like that," Raven jokes, and he pouts jokingly.

"Alright, this is called 'The Crow in the Dragon's Den.'"

"Nest."

"Excuse me?" Crow looks at Raven confused.

"You just said 'Dragon's Nest' Ten minutes ago."

He pauses for a minute, "It's not very consistent." Raven giggles, and he smiles.

* * *

It was but a month after you left Azarath, Raven, but much had changed. Things weren't the same without you; they never were. When you left, after a week or so, everyone we used to be friends with disbanded—our friendship was the only reason they hung out, and with our friendship severed so was our group. They hadn't so much as talked to each other after some time, and soon my friends left me, and I was alone.

You see, I always returned to our spot—The edge of the floating island, by the large rock in the south—and I sat there for hours, watching the sky saying to myself, "If she returns, this will be where she'll go."

Well, you see, there was always a group of boys who liked you, and with your leaving; they had no reason to not pick on me. I never cared, and I took many beatings just waiting for you. I guess I was in a trance, numb to their punches and the blood running down my face, as I could see the beating, but I never felt anything but the coldness of you not being here.

-That's horrible! I'm so sorry, Crow-

It's all right, dear, just let me continue.

"Well, if it isn't 'Bird boy!'" One of them said, slamming my head into the rock. I felt the blood run down my hair, but I didn't really care.

They continued to beat me to a pulp as I looked into the sky. No one cared about me, they never did. I was an orphan, I had no friends, and my foster family hated me. I never even went home anymore. But as I tasted blood for the third time that week, something rose in the distance, it's shadow engulfing the whole area. It was terrifying. The sky became pitch black; no sun, no light at all.

Then, fire. A blinding light that burst in an instant toward me. It illuminated me enough for me to protect myself from the flames, but alas, the bullies were burnt to ash in an instant, as was my shield. I managed to get out of the flames, and found an army of dragons attacking the city. A primary strike, which I later learned was lead by the Dragon King.

The whole outskirts of the town were burnt to ash, and the people were frightened. The army had been injured in the attack, and there were no mages powerful enough to take on the whole army if they struck again. I stood before the Elders with my family, as he announced to the town that we would surely die a fiery death. He asked if anyone was willing to defend our city to the death, and many were hesitant.

"I know of one!" My foster brother said, with an evil smirk on his face, "This boy here! Crow is his name. He has the ability to use the power of the great moon Zinthi!"

"Is this true?!" The Elder asked, lowering to our level.

My heart sank, as my brother just sold my soul, in an attempt to outlive me for just a little time. The Elder took my chin in his hand, and looked into my inverted eye. He saw my power, and worst of all, he saw my fear, and my pain.

"Young Crow, I can see your doubts, fears, and pain. You have been through more than a child your age should, but your potential is great…" He let me go, and turned his back to me, turning his head to look at me.

"Young Crow. We will not live forever, you know this fact, correct?"

I just stood there, looking down.

"Answer me, child. You know we will all die eventually."

"Yes, I know of mortality more than I should," I mumbled.

"You are wise, child. We all will die, and that is a fact of life, and the only thing that is definite in this world. But you know that since the first attack our time on Azarath had definitely shortened?"

"Yes." I said, looking up a little.

"Well, no one should choose when another should die; that is not our choice. These dragons, the Dragon King Aratonan believes he has this power. Will you save us all, by stopping Aratonon, so that only god will decide the day we die?"

"I guess so…"

"'Guessing so' isn't good enough, child! Will you save Azarath from this menace to humanity?"

"Y-yes!" I said louder ," I won't just wait by the side of our city for death to come! I will save Azarath, and defend it with my life!"

"Then it shall be. You will venture far from Azarath, to the Den of the Dragon King Arathonan, penetrate their defenses, and destroy the Tyrant Arathonan himself, all in the name of Azarath."

"Yes!" I was only ten, and unaware of the pain I would endure in the mission.

But I was off that very day, sneering at my foster brother for getting me into this—but I would be the hero of Azarath, and demand their respect. I left at sundown, leaping off of the floating island and onto the rock below. I ran as far as I could, and eventually, after nightfall, I was miles away from our town.

Then I saw it. A huge mountain lay before me, Miles above it lay a castle, nestled in a crater on the top. I began to climb and halfway up, I became fully aware of my surroundings. What I at first thought was another mountain range, moved, and hisses, blowing fire.

Wrapped round castle was a giant dragon; the very one that incinerated the bullies; but it had been further away that I had thought when it attacked. I looked smaller than the castle when it blasted at me, and now it was close enough to touch me. I was careful as I walked into the crater, and then stepped onto a rock as I walked further. Suddenly I heard the dragon awaken. I was on its tail.

It saw me. I leapt from the tail and landed on the rock below, denting it with my footprints. The dragon took flight, attacking me from above. It flew faster than I could run, and I was surely done for. There were no rocks to hide behind; a desert of solid rock surrounded me. As I ran, my footprints burst into the rock, leaving a trail of footprints. Remember that.

I dodged as much as I could, but it could strike me from all directions. As I ran, more dragons appeared, each significantly smaller and easier to avoid alone, but in the vast numbers present, it was impossible to keep this up for long. As I left the crater, I realized the dragons had dropped behind. I looked behind to see then trapped behind an invisible barrier, blowing fire that couldn't reach me.

I hid for a week, waiting for the dragons to leave. He didn't give up, and I was starving. I hadn't eaten in days. I used my magic to hear the Dragon King's servants.

"The next raid will happen in an hour!" They passed on to each other.

Finally they'll leave, and take the dragons, I thought to myself. All I had to do was wait for them to leave, and the cost would be clear. One hour, and I could eat my fill of the food in the castle.

An hour passed, and I prepared my raid on their kitchen, but only to see that they left a troop of dragon riders and barbarians to guard the castle. I knew it was risqué, but I was hungry.

I ran in full force, and they saw me instantly. I yelled my spell, and my arm formed a sword. That was the first time I used the spell like a weapon, and severed two dragons and riders in a single slash. For four minutes, they kept their heads before I ran like fuck.

Another group of riders attacked. "Azarath Metreon Zinthi!" I screamed, and they were incinerated instantly. This cycle went on until the doors came into view. I burst through the door, killing some riders, and landing inside, running for the kitchen.

I basically devoured half of their food.

"What's going on here?!" some dragon barbarians yelled from the doorway. I grabbed two swords from a plaque on the wall, and lunged at them.

"DIE!" I screamed, hacking through them, and forming armor with my powers. The armor made me taller, and my arms longer, making my size that of an adult.

I hacked my way through hordes of dragon warriors and made my way to the throne room, and waited for the greatest battle of my life.

The door slammed open and Arathonan burst in, flawlessly unharmed after a battle. He had not a speck of fatigue. I was surprised that he was six-foot three, and very muscle-bound, unlike what I expected. He wore a large black cape and bore two large blades in either hand.

"Human, you have been on my to-kill list for way too long… First you survive my attack on Azarath, you plague my lair for a week, and now you slay my men!? Your life ends here!" He whips his swords up, and his cape parts to reveal two elegant wings.

"I am Arathonan, the dragon tyrant!" He pulls at his wings. The black peels off, revealing a razor-sharp edge along them all.

"Your wings are weapons?" I asked

"Why do you think they call me the beast of blades?"

"You have killed too many citizens of Azarath… you will not survive."

"And a fucking human's gonna' stop me?"

He slashed one of his wings at my arm, breaking the armor like cloth, and cutting my wrist deep. I formed a tourniquet, and the armor disappeared.

"A kid? A mere child avoided my grasp for so long?"

"What an army, huh?" I laughed.

"No matter. You humans are all the same. You stand no chance; I have four blades, and you only have two!" I began to doubt myself, but I still stood strong.

He charged at me, and I charged at him. This was it; one of us would die there, and the one who did would lose it all.

I screamed as—

* * *

"As?" Raven asks eagerly.

"Guys, time to go. Finish your story at home!" Robin yells from the door of the ice cream store.

"I'll finish when we get back. Remind me where we are," Crow says, running to the others. Raven stays back for a moment. Full of disappointment, she follows them out the door.


End file.
